Monday, August 10, 2015

versus

A Liberal’s Point of View on America4American's assertions featured here yesterday

in edited form

Despite his being a Liberal, the man who sent this response via email is a good friend of mine. Obviously he disagreed with much said by America4Americans, and backed a lot of his statements up with sources.

[NOTE: Please do your best to present evidence to the contrary in a polite, thoughtful way. Insults, smear tactics, emotional outbursts, childish taunts, and irrelevant comments will be removed. Try for a change to treat someone with whom you disagree with respect. Insults and mud-slinging are NOT acceptable debate practice. If “we” are to have any credibility at all, we must elevate the tone of our rhetoric. Thanks.]

Donald Trump did not quadruple

the price of food since 2008.

Correct, but neither did anyone else. Food prices have risen a modest 25.7% overall, most of that during the high gas prices in 08 and 09.

Perhaps not, but neither is President Obama. By the mere fact that the President mentions problems faced by the black community, the right runs all hysterical claiming the President is 'causing a race war.'. Give it a break - it's nonsense.

Trump did not leave any

US soldiers in Benghazzi to be

slaughtered and desecrated

by Muslims.

True again, though neither did anyone else except perhaps the GOP House members who refused to increase the budget for security at consolates (which Benghazi was) or embassies. Meanwhile, countless hearings on the matter have more than proven that no illegal or scandalous actions took place, and that, indeed, most of the planet (with the exception of the radical right in America) thought this attack could've easily been due to the release of the you tube video which had caused massive demonstrations and other attacks around the globe. Meanwhile, still nothing from the right about those 11 attacks on our embassies which happened under W. . . Funny about that, huh? Hypocrites - all of them.....

Take your pick –– either article is vague and neither is reported by any other reputable source.

Trump did not arm ISIS and systematically exterminate Christians throughout the Middle East.

No, that would be all of you who voted for Bush twice. As the rest of us knew, going into Iraq would create an off-balance of power in that nation. Sunni vs Shia vs Kurd with the minorities of Christians and others caught in the middle. And of course, that's EXACTLY what happened. If you want to blame those deaths on anyone –– look in the mirror, Republican voters, look in the mirror....

Trump did not betray Israel.

No, and neither did President Obama. Feel free to bow down to Israel and to continue to fight her wars –– I and most Americans are done.

Trump did not provide financing

and technology to aid Iran's

nuclear weapons program.

Conservatives would hate the deal no matter what, just because you can't bring yourselves to give the president a win on this one. I get it. You hate the guy more than you love your country. Got it. Fact remains, though, that if we walk from the multinational deal, we walk into almost certain war with Iran, and that will be even more bloody, costly and prolonged than the pointless war of choice in Iraq. Strap on your packs and lace up your boots, Republicans - you'll be fighting this one without the rest of us.

Trump did not give our

military secrets to China.

No, that was Nixon and every other President since including Ronald Reagan every time 'most favored nation' status was extended, which it has been since Nixon.

I'm a veteran - I don't feel betrayed by President Obama. I do, however, feel very betrayed by the GOP who starts pointless wars of choice based on lies then has the nerve to pinch pennies with the VA budget as they have done REPEATEDLY all while whipping up their base of mostly non-veterans with nonsense like this.

Trump did not cripple our economy.

Nope –– Bush, Cheney and Republican voters did that all by themselves. Why should anyone listen to you folks, again? :-)

True. That was the GOP House and Senate. Glad someone else remembers that fact, too.

Trump did not double

African-American unemployment.

Nope, that would be Bush who lost more jobs than any president in living memory.

Trump did not increase welfare

to record levels for eight years.

Same answer as above.

Trump did not sign a law making it legal

to execute, and imprison Americans.

True. Bush did and Obama continues this bad policy. Thanks go to all those flag waving, 'super patriots' who crammed the patriot act down our throats after 9/11 therefore ensuring that the terrorists got exactly what they wanted. Gee, which party pushed all that bad policy again? Hmmm... Oh yeah. yours.

Trump did not seek to free terrorists

in Guantanamo Bay.

If they are indeed 'terrorists' then why not charge them and try them as such. Why be so cowardly as to just attempt to hold them indefinately without ever bringing any charges against them? Why have more than two dozen been found innocent and freed? You can't very well be a beacon in the dark and then do dastardly deeds, also.

Trump did not steal your rights, violate

US Constitutional law, or commit treason.

Nor has the president. Please, calm this person down and give him a much needed shot of anti-psychotic drugs. Feel free to list any specific rights lost under this president. You won't be able to, as there are none, but go for it if you can think of any.

226 comments:

What I love the most about The Donald - and why I cherish his presence in the national train wreck so completely - is the man's genius at being clueless. In fact, if lacking in self awareness were considered a human virtue, Trump would have received the Nobel Prize decades ago. It's bad enough that this nitwit takes himself so seriously, he's delusional enough to think that intelligent people take him with anything other than a grain of moldy salt. It really is rather touching and pathetic when you think about it.

I mean, the "Trump" parts of his message seem cut 'n paste, ya know? Like anyone this guy liked could be put in there. Unfortunately, the only name the would have fit would have been the Bush 43 administration and their allies on the Hill and courts.

Like I said, I think it was just sloppily pasted with "Trump." A moral equivocation is in fact what it is. We also see this when Trump is said to be the Bernie Sanders of the Republicans. Nothing could be further from the truth. But it makes Republicans and conservatives feel better about the fact that 1/4 of their numbers are retarded.

I am totally on the side of American4Americsns, he did a fabulous job on the blog.Your "friend" sounds like the typical Liberal/Progressive Obama apologist, and like another "blame Bush" poster who sucks around the Liberials blogs blaming Bush for all of Obama's FAILED policies. The caption on his White House Bust should read, "FAILURE"..

Yes, but what about the FACTS presented, Hans? How could we know for sure they ARE facts? How could we prove they are NOT?

Also, let me ask you, please, do YOU see the primary purpose of Amercian4America's post as a DENIGRATION of President Obama, or do you see its intent more as a DEFENSE of Donald Trump?

You may see me ask that question more than once, because I think it's an important distinction that should be examined thoughtfully. Reflexive outbursts of emotion may be sincere, but good, fruitful debate requires much more than that –– a point this blog owner is determined to make come hell or high water.

Hey all you Dim-witted Libs, Progressives and whatever you lying, disgusting idiots are calling yourselves these days! this is what distrust, disgust and hate look like, when you really want to “Fact-Check... . Screw you all, you all with your damned lies and made up History.. The Newest NBC News Survey Poll Shows that Donald Trump is not only Still in the Lead After the Debates, but He Has Gained!1. Trump 23% +12. Cruz 13% +73. Carson 11% +34. Fiorina 8% +64. Rubio 8%6. Jebba the Bush 7% -36. Walker 7%. -38. Huckabee 5% +19. Paul 5%. -1

So a have good old time making up your stories now. The tide has changed, the people realized that Donald was RIGHT and the “Made-Up story” is simply that, A MADE UP STORY! As I sit here this listening to a radio talk show 90% of the women calling in are on Trumps side. Mr Inevitable Jebba the Bush is now down to a 6th place tie with Walker in polls released today.Now that Hillary is starting to show signs of faltering, these libs are inventing all kinds of fairy-tales to know out The Donald.. Well Ms. Queen of BS, it ain’t gonna happen!Now why don't you go find yourself a street to go play in?

[NOTE: Please do your best to present evidence to the contrary in a polite, thoughtful way. Insults, smear, emotional outbursts, childish taunts, and irrelevant comments will be removed. Try for a change to treat someone with whom you disagree with respect. Insults and mud-slinging are NOT acceptable debate practice. If “we” are to have any credibility at all, we must elevate the tone of our rhetoric. Thanks.]

You failed in that regard, but I'll allow your comment to stay, because of the list of ratings you gave. It would help a lot, though, if you could please give the source for your figures.

Those figures are for REPUBLICAN voters only and they are still a minority in this country. Sure, there are red pockets but nationally, there are more Democrats than Republicans. Not to mention we're way more than a year away from voting. Sheesh, take a chill pill, already, lady. You sound angry? Facts getting to you?

We have a right to be as 'emotional' as we like at the BALLOT BOX, but in proper, intelligent DEBATE and DISCUSSION cool-headed thoughtfulness must prevail. Unless it does, all we're ding at these blogs is staging a perpetual series of frankly disgusting BARROOM BRAWLS.

The survey, conducted Friday and Saturday, finds Donald Trump holding his lead with 23 percent support among Republican primary voters.www.breitbart.comThere are thousands of other sites showing that these poll numbers are for Republican voters only and not of all voters.

Perhaps not, but neither is President Obama. By the mere fact that the President mentions problems faced by the black community, the right runs all hysterical claiming the President is 'causing a race war.'.

The DOJ jumps all over cases wherein "an unarmed black man was killed." Does the DOJ jump all over cases wherein an unarmed white man was killed?

Thanks again, AOW. I too see a lopsided approach to criminal prosecution focusing almost exclusively on incidents that adversely affect Negroes, while other atrocities equally or more heinous receive no attention.

The most interesting admission by Trump during Thursday's Q&A was that Donald Trump engages in Pay-to-Play politics as usual. He spreads his money around to politicians of both parties, and then he admitted to the millions of people who listened to the braggart that he calls in favors from those politicians he's bought. He thinks that he can buy everyone. This is the guy the Tea Party believes is the anti-politician, the outsider.

In fact, he's been playing the insider's game for years, and he admitted it on Thursday night.

The Tea Party folks love this guy because he's basically a cipher whose says nothing but says it loudly and with a lot of conviction. Their idea of "telling it like it is" is Trump, who avoids the hard work of knowing details about serious issues facing this country. He's the best when it comes to insulting women and his fellow Republicans. Ask him a question on an issue that is complex or vital to this country, and he'll tell you how great he is.Botton line, Trump's an total bully, and a pathetic jackass. But that seems to be just what the fringe right base wants. He's an egotistical blowhard. They don't call them the party of stupid for nothing

Even Faux Snooze thinks that he’s a wacko and wants him GONE!This is the GOP Tea Party’s hero.

TE: The most interesting admission by Trump during Thursday's Q&A was that Donald Trump engages in Pay-to-Play politics as usual. He spreads his money around to politicians of both parties, and then he admitted to the millions of people who listened to the braggart that he calls in favors from those politicians he's bought.

FT: You seem to imply there is something evil or illegitimate about using wealth to gain advantage. Two things:

1. Isn't that EXACTLY how BOTH parties fund and fuel their operations?

2. Isn't it refreshing , however boisterous, crude and vulgar the man may be, to see a contender for elective office ADMIT the TRUTH for a change?

TE: He thinks that he can buy everyone. This is the guy the Tea Party believes is the anti-politician, the outsider.

FT: You are simply ASCRIBING motives to people you think you don't like, but don't really know using, as lawyers would say, "Fats not in evidence."

TE: In fact, he's been playing the insider's game for years, and he admitted it on Thursday night.

TE: The Tea Party folks love this guy because he's basically a cipher whose says nothing but says it loudly and with a lot of conviction. Their idea of "telling it like it is" is Trump, who avoids the hard work of knowing details about serious issues facing this country.

FT: First, I think it's been a mistake to have made sure that everything that unfolded last Thursday evening was all about TRUMP. Second, I blame FOX News for that, since their moderators set the tone, and deliberately chose to DERAIL the proceedings in order to focus negative attention on Mr. Trump, thus ensuring a Circus Atmosphere would predominate.

TE: He's the best when it comes to insulting women and his fellow Republicans. Ask him a question on an issue that is complex or vital to this country, and he'll tell you how great he is.

FT: That's an opinion, and on the face of it you could be right, BUT I believe Mr. Trump was putting on an ACT either in collusion with or opposition to FOX. For good or for ill politics has become more a matter of SHOW BUSINESS than STATESMANSHIP. And let's face it, noisy controversy and a "food fight" atmosphere sells more "soap," which is what "Journalism' is all about. As I believe the owner demonstrated at Progressive Eruptions the other day, Insults, WIcked Assertions, Lies, Distortions, Outrageous Fabrications and generally VLE sentiments have been part of American politics since the earliest days of the Republic. It's not called "blood sport" for nothing. ;-)

I am tired of lobbing verbal grenades across the barricades, myself. Only those with the mentality of children and adolescents could possibly enjoy such unproductive nonsense in MY opinion.

TE: Bottom line, Trump's a total bully, and a pathetic jackass. But that seems to be just what the fringe right base wants. He's an egotistical blowhard. They don't call them the party of stupid for nothing.

FT: Trump a "total bully?" Certainly a blowhard, certainly a vulgarian (which is why he resonates so well with a huge segment of the rank and file ;-) and certainly an individual who vigorously asserts his right NOT to be CONTROLLED, but on that stage last Thursday evening was Mr. Trump any MORE of "bully" than Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace or even the normally amiable Bret Baer? It is certainly FOX's right to indulge in AMBUSH JOURNALISM and set a tone of FRACTIOUSNESS, INSOLENCE and CONTEMPT, if they want, but I, personally, despise the tactic. Instead of staging a DEBATE, Fox in effect turned it into a BULLFIGHT where TRUMP was set up to play as the BULL and Kelly the MATADOR.

TE: Even Faux Snooze thinks that he’s a wacko and wants him GONE!This is the GOP Tea Party’s hero.

FT: PLEASE call it FOX NEWS if you're to post here again, and again I have to say you are ASCRIBING motives through ASSUMPTIIN rather than KNOWLEDGE. Don't we all? ;-)

Of course he's talking about climate change, which is happening, whether the right wants to accept reality or not. One way or the other, life is going to change and get much more expensive. We can do nothing and face unprecedented droughts in the West, coastal flooding in the East and Gulf areas causing massive economic disturbances or we can attempt to fight it and face higher costs short term. I know which way I'd pick, but sadly, far too many Americans have bought the Koch Brother's toxic stew.

The attempts to shut down debate over Global Warming, or Climate Change, as they say today, have ALL come from the Left.

That alone PROVES the issue has been wholly POLITICIZED.

Whenever and wherever attempts are made to criminalize questions antagonistic to any kind of Establishment Narrative, we have TYRANNY. Once upon a time the Establishment was Ecclesiastical and anti-Science, because Science had begun to ask questions that appeared to threaten Ecclesiastical Authority, and so thousands were tortured, mutilated, smashed to pieces, and burned alive to PROTECT those i POWER at the time.

today, we know that was wrong.

What we DON'T yet realize is that now that "Science" is in the catbird seat, "Science" TOO has become corrupt, self-protective and self-serving, –– as ALL established Power Blocs ALWAYS do ––, and in a more modern way is conducting ITS version of the Inquisition by humiliating, shunning, and punishing any and all DISSENT from the Establishment Narrative.

It's already been suggested in some circles –– by LEFTISTS, of course –– that "Climate Change Denial" should be made a CRIMINAL OFFENSE punishable by heavy fines and imprisonment.

You see where this is going, I hope, and realize the evil implications of ANY kind of GroupThink –– ESPECIALLY when it enforced by Governmental Authority.

EINSTEIN –– an avowed leftist by the way –– advised us to "Question EVERYTHING."

To you people who are arguing over the truth or factuality of the re-posted blog in question, I’d like to ask you something... Would you rather hand-over our country to the corrupt, lying Hillary Clinton or another progressive socialist democrat hell bent on continuing Obama’s transformative policies towards communism.Trump maybe a lot of things as are most of the other candidates running, but you can bet your last dollar that he is NOT a socialist, Communist, Muslim loving traitor who follows Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals . I’ll leave that to Hillary and the other progressive socialist democrats. I would NOT trust Hillary Clinton to govern our nation any more than I’d trust Barack Obama. But right now, I’m for Donald Trump. Yes, he may have a temper problem, but I know that he Loves this country. Now you can Carry On with your rants about Free Lunches, Free Breakfasts, and turning this country into the Land of "Entitlements" Slavery, The Culture War, Racism, and more of Michelle Obama’s ridiculous bullshit, like her excuse’s for people being be Jobless!

I'll be voting for Bernie Sanders in the Primary but will most certainly vote for Hillary over ANY of the Republicans running for office. In my opinion, not a one of them is ready for prime time and, frankly, America has suffered under quite enough Republican ideas to last a very long time.

Ducky, I believe the time for academic hairsplitting over what constitutes Marxism. Communism, Fabianism, Socialism, "Democratic Socialism," Statism, Fascism, Theocratic Absolutism, and Authoritarianism, et al. is long past. It doesn't matter what we CALL these things, the only important aspect of any is the IMPACT they have on our quality of life and standard of living.

I invented a new word not long ago that covers them all equally:

TYRANNISM.

Why? Because what every one of these various Heads of the Hydra from Hell strives to accomplish is DESPOTISM –– TYRANNY –– ABSOLUTE POWER and CONTROL over the behavior and fortunes of each individual.

Alinsky may have characterized himself as an anti-Communist or an Anarchist, but what he really was –– whether he knew it or acknowledged it or not –– was a TYRANNIST.

So, please stop trying to impress us with all this elaborate obfuscatory language you learned in your studies at the Academy of Subversion and Treachery via Cultural Marxism.

Despite my being a highly verbal logophile by nature and long-established practice, "terminology" per se doesn't interest me, –– especially when it's created out of whole cloth by agenda-driven academics who love to congratulate each other on how incredibly astute, clever, and oh-so-superior they are to "the common crowd" - "the proletariat" - the "Bourgeoisie" the "workers," the "lame, the halt and the blind" - and the "downtrodden," all of whom with the exception of the "Bourgeoisie," they pretend to champion but not-so-secretly despise.

Anonymous, you have every right to your opinion, even though I believe it to be dead wrong.

I have sad quite OFTEN on these pages and at other blogs that the performance of the GOP has been exasperatingly unsatisfactory, so in that regard I don't disagree with you. However, I cannot believe the initiation of full-blown, undisguised, unabashed SOCIALISM –– primarily a derivative of MARXIAN ideology –– could possibly help restore our country to economic health, prosperity and an elevated standard of living.

There's plenty of blame to go around, but BOTH parties are at fault.

I hink it's high time we learned and acknowledged that BOTH parties feed from the SAME trough, and that BOTH are owned and operated by The Oligarchs –– i.e. the International Bankers, Financiers, the Owners and Providers of Raw Materials, and the ruthless, greedy, vain, utterly selfish Captains of huge international Corporations who know no loyalty and feel no allegiance to anything or anyone but The Bottom Line.

Mr. Trump is probably one of these Oligarchs. What you may not understand, however, is that Bill and Hillary, Barack and Michelle, –– and the BUSHES too, –– all belong to this International Elite, themselves.

America4Americans posted an exceedingly poorly-framed 'criticism' which left the door open for you Obama-worshiping friend to plaster his boilerplate.

Your friend's responses are typical liberal tendentious bullshit.

a 25% increase in the family grocery bill is "modest?" He must be the garden variety Obama 1%'er.

Race relations are worse now than when Obama took office, and that is particularly saddening. We had a real opportunity, but now it is blown.

We are weaker on the world stage, and Obama has tripled the national debt... paying off Bush's wars??? How about Obama's continuation of those wars??? how about paying off the Democrap party's failed War on Poverty? You know, that program that has wasted trillions and improved nothing, but it did fulfill Johnson's prediction to "keep those n*ggers voting Democrat for the next 200 years."

There is no measuring tape, no metric or scale that shows Obama has improved anything. Yes, we are in a recovery... a sputtering, clanking recovery that is the worst on record, and we have the smallest workforce since Jimmy Carter. Some accomplishment.

Next year, President Obama will leave America poorer, broker, weaker, angrier and stupider than when he entered office. And for that partisan progressives like your friend and Mr. McJones clap their little seal flippers and bark for more government fish.

First off, for the record, lets agree that Megyn Kelly and the other moderators targeted Trump from the get-go with the kind of provocative, questions, that she did not and would never ask of any of the others on that platform. There was no doubt in my mind that Megyn Kelly was out to assassinate Trump that night. But, despite her and the other moderators efforts, their attacks only made Trump stronger and gave him an even higher standing in the polls.. I think the Liberals/progressives and the rest of the Trump haters are having a hell of a time trying to make Trump look bad and knock him out of the race for Hillary’s sake, because Trump would make Mince Meat out of her in a debate.

Hillary don’t stand a chance against him in a debate...,don’t forget, she can’t use terms like “racist, homophob, women hater” etc. on TV

Clearly, this poster cannot read simple English. The .25% figure was for a span of nearly 9 years and yes, during one of the most massive recessions our nation has faced with fuel costs - which directly impact food costs, btw -- going well over 5. a gallon. So yes, given all of that, .25% is modest. The rest of your nonsensical screeching is not worth responding to. Get back to me if you get any actual facts with links to back up your baloney....

Please watch that disparaging rhetoric charged with insolence, Anonymous. I'm desperately trying quell belligerence and inculcate a more temperate Rule of Reason characterized by less heat and more light. Please try to help us in that regard. Thank you.

We MUST stop habitually antagonizing each other and giving way to anger every time someone says something we dislike and don't want to hear.

Maybe it would produce better results if we asked more questions, and made fewer pronouncements?

Disparaging rhetoric charged with insolence? Seriously? Have you read the posts from your side of the isle? But hey, it's your playpen. I'll head back to my own blog. Thanks for a fun exchange, my friend. Talk to you again.

I've read every word, Anon, and have tried to delete the worst offenders, while gently chiding those with brains but too big a chip on their shoulder.

BOTH sides are equally guilty of making spiteful, irrational, bigoted remarks. The are NO exceptions. I've done it myself, I admit, but really do want to reform. Can't do it alone, however. It always takes two to tango.

You seem to take it for granted that "everyone" on the right sully supports Mr. Trump.

NOT SO!

I only support his right to speak freely, as he chooses, and let the chips fall where they may.

I resent FOX's "ambush approach," because it DISTRACTS from any serious discussion of Events, Policy Decisions and Potential Solutions to obvious problems, and draws attention to the sideshow of clamorous controversy.

The 85-95% of the conservative retards here that post are finally getting a lesson on what divisiveness taste like. A few months ago (Trump has been on the scene for less than 2 months), not one of you would have considered voting for this dope who has shows on NBC, given liberally to the Clintons, palled around with Martha Stewart, the Kardashians, Piers Morgan and the rest of the republican morons . NOW....you guys are willing to throw away the entire election with your idiotic allegiance to this filthy idiot. I'm not telling you not to do it. By all means, jump over that cliff. In fact I whis that you continue with your nonsensible crap. You can always say that the GOP lost due to voter fraud, tainted election machines, moderators, the media, etc...

If I were to try and sell this idea to a Hollywood producer, I would have gotten laughed out of the pitch meeting due to it being too far fetched.

This obnoxious, narcissist moron has driven away the "Reagan Democrats " and Independents and even the moderates. What is left in your party are a few party loyalists who are trying to defend the worst idiot who ever ran on the republican ticket, except maybe Sarah Palin.The problem is idiots like this blogger and his few biddies like the Queen of Porn still support him..

I had a young woman (late 20's) worker, self-proclaimed "redneck," come to me a couple days ago, and in front of two young men (18-19), exclaim, "Ya' know why Trump is gonna win, right? 'Cuz, he is gonna win, ya' know. It's because he says, "you suck, and you suck, and you can go to hell, and you suck," and that's what this country needs right now."

After she walked away, I turned to the two young men, and gave them one of my famous 10-second "succinct history lessons." I told them, "You know guys, among historians the American Revolution is not considered either revolutionary or American, but rather the final battle of the English Civil War, started over a century earlier. The first Civil War brought to power a guy called Cromwell, who was crazy, supported by the Puritans, who were also crazy. Now, you know how your history books tell you the Puritans came to America for religious freedom? Actually they were politely asked to get the f#@k out of England because they were driving everyone crazy. And they brought the crazy here and it's been here ever since. So, when you hear talk like that about Trump, what you should feel is fear, boys, feeeaaarrr..." And we laughed.

2. The debates could be crude, with personal insults and racial slurs being hurled.

Despite how the Lincoln-Douglas Debates are often cited as some high point of civility in politics, the content was often rough.

In part, this was because the debates were rooted in the frontier tradition of the stump speech. Candidates, sometimes literally standing on a stump, would engage in freewheeling and entertaining speeches that would often contain jokes and insults.

And it's worth noting that some of the content of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates would likely be considered too offensive for a network television audience today....

Although I agree with the spirit of Michael Gerson’s July 31 Washington Forum column, “The GOP’s revolt of rage,” he was mistaken that Abraham Lincoln refrained from making fun of his opponent, Stephen A. Douglas, in their 1858 race for a Senate seat.

As Gerson pointed out, Douglas was a short man. Moreover, he was rotund and known for his enjoyment of spirits — a practice Lincoln had forgone. During one of their notable debates, Lincoln observed, “I was not aware until now that his [Douglas’s] father was a cooper. I have no doubt, however, that he was one, and I am certain that he was a very good one for,” and here Lincoln bowed gently toward Douglas, “he has made one of the best whiskey casks I have ever seen.’”

Donald Trump, a low class slob with an misogynist attitude toward females, and a bigotry towards non whites.This is what a buffoon sounds like. Not one word on policy. He was defensive about his sexist remarks about Megyn Kelly. He bragged about how many people watched the Q&A because he was there. He bragged about how rich he is. He bragged about winning the debate. He attacked Hillary Clinton without backing those attacks up with facts. He bragged about leading the GOP polls He bragged about how good he is on women issues, then when asked for specifics, he changed the subject to Jeb Bush. All he said is that he'd be phenomenal for women, nothing of substance: The most interesting admission by Trump during Thursday's Q&A was that Donald Trump engages in Pay-to-Play politics as usual. He spreads his money around to politicians of both parties, and then he admitted to the millions of people who listened to the braggart that he calls in favors from those politicians he's bought. This is the guy the Tea Party believes is the anti-politician, the outsider.

In fact, he's been playing the insider's game for years, and he showed it to us all last on Thursday night.

The Tea Party folks love this guy because he's basically a cipher whose says nothing but says it loudly and with a lot of conviction. Their idea of "telling it like it is" is Trump, who avoids the hard work of knowing details about serious issues facing this country. He's the best when it comes to insulting women and his fellow Republicans. Ask him a question on an issue that is complex or vital to this country, and he'll tell you how great he is. After all, he's the GOPeers, and Tea Party hero. It was fun to watch the Republicans World burn!

The liberal belief is to act more like a cult of morons than a political movement, and right now they seem to demonstrate, either a lack of intelligence, or submission to a cult-like way of thinking...or maybe even both.

Not all of us are SUPPORTING him by a long shot. Instead we are trying to DISCUSS him and ascertain the value or lack thereof of the INFLUENCE he is bringing to bear on the scene.

It has been my personal intent to analyze the deficiencies in the Republican Party's approach to campaigning, and the motives of FOX News in deliberately putting on a ind of BURLESQUE show –– almost a TRAVESTY –– instead of a calm, reasoned dignified debate.

If only you and all the rest of us could learn to LET OTHERS BE WHO THEY ARE without VILIFICATION and ceaseless attempts to impugn their motives at every turn before they can get a word out of their mouths, we MIGHT communicate better, find more common ground and enjoy friendlier relations.

...The fact is that neither political party, and no administration, is blameless; the honest answer, as outlined below, is that government policy over many years caused this problem. The regulators, in both the Clinton and Bush administrations, were the enforcers of the reduced lending standards that were essential to the growth in home ownership and the housing bubble.

THERE ARE TWO KEY EXAMPLES of this misguided government policy. One is the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The other is the affordable housing “mission” that the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were charged with fulfilling....

[...]

...U.S. housing policies are the root cause of the current financial crisis. Other players--greedy investment bankers; incompetent rating agencies; irresponsible housing speculators; shortsighted homeowners; and predatory mortgage brokers, lenders, and borrowers--all played a part, but they were only following the economic incentives that government policy laid out for them....

This is exactly the kind of honest, thoughtful, researched response I was hoping this lengthy post would engender.

Of course the Opposition will contend that your sources are biased or tendentious, or whatever –– just as 'we" would say of theirs –– so the Mexican Standoff is likely to contnue, because BOTH "sides" are far more attached to their pet "agendas" than they are to an honest pursuit of the Truth, which may –– or may not –– support their goals.

But yes, it was, INDEED, foolish GOVERNMENT policies that brought about the housing crisis.

Whether the Obama administration is consciously using a variant of the Cloward-Piven strategy, but either way, the RESULTS are apt to be what Cloward -Piven hoped to accomplish.

The proof? My house is now "wroth' about HALF of what it would have been had the government not forcefully implemented counter-intuitive "fair lending practices" that fly in the face of Established Business Practices and Common Sense.

Trump did not arm ISIS and systematically exterminate Christians throughout the Middle East.

No, that would be all of you who voted for Bush twice. As the rest of us knew, going into Iraq would create an off-balance of power in that nation. Sunni vs Shia vs Kurd with the minorities of Christians and others caught in the middle. And of course, that's EXACTLY what happened. If you want to blame those deaths on anyone –– look in the mirror, Republican voters, look in the mirror....

Nope.

It was Obama who, against all military advice, insisted upon leaving Iraq without sufficient U.S. military on the ground.

Should we have gone into Iraq in the first place? Probably not, precisely because of upsetting the Shia-Sunni balance in that region of the Middle East; Saddam Hussein served as a buffer zone of sorts.. But at the time the decision was made to invade Iraq, intelligence indicated that we needed to go in -- and a lot of Dems signed onto that. Furthermore, there is video footage showing convoys going from Iraq to Syria; one school of thought states that those convoys was the moving of WMD's (chemical weapons). We now know, of course, that Assad has certainly used chemical weapons. Did Assad get those weapons from Saddam Hussein? Certainly a possibility, IMO.

Thank you again, AOW. The MUDDLE East, as I call it, is such a twisted, hopelessly tangled ball of twine it's almost impossible to determine why things are the way they are over there. Internecine warfare has been a constant in the region for thousands of years.

How do I know?

The BIBLE tells me so." ;-)

Democrats today choose conveniently to forget –– or DENY –– that the congressional Democrats of the time fully supported the decision to invade Iraq.

The liberal narrative today, of course, would have us believe they were "duped" by a "lying" Bush administration.

NOT SO! I haven't time to dig it all up again, but there is plenty of documented evidence that proves WORLDWIDE intelligence Sources ALL reported that Saddam did, indeed, have WMD.

All that aside, W's conduct of the Iraq situation was naive and ill-prepared at best. His own brother Jeb said just the other day that it was an ERROR, but to claim that W's intent was EVIL is preposterous. W was hardly our brightest Chief Executive, but I could never call him "evil."

I would rather put that claim against the sainted ABE LINCOLN, but he too most probably never labored under any evil INTENT.

Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."

Aside from all the specific scientific data we've accumulated, just about everything we need to know is contained in the Bible and the works of Will Shakespeare.

Obama's policy with regard to defeating ISIS has not been a rousing success:

The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday that the Muslim world is laughing over the rapid disintegration of Obama's pathetic, 50-man, "moderate" Syrian rebel force. Middle East analyst Ali Bakir said: "No one in the Arab world takes this program seriously; I mean, you would need around 50 to 60 people to play paintball but definitely not to fight Islamic State."

It's not just the Muslim world that's laughing at us – the whole world is. CNN reported Thursday that the New Syrian Force had been completely destroyed.

This is the catastrophic failure of Obama's $500 million U.S. "train and equip" program. Notice how the media never talk about Obama's "moderate Muslim" training program? Obama's unicorn division.

What's worse is that this $500 million dupery was done with Republican congressional approval. And it could only attract 50 "moderates" willing to be trained to fight the Islamic State....

Probably true, but The Jerusalem Post certainly has its OWN agenda, and is just as apt as the New York Times and all the other leftist rags that STILL dominate most established disseminators of what-passes-for News and Information including the sorry spectacle of what's left of print journalism.

Finding an honest, truly reliable source is THE biggest problem we who care about the truth face today.

"The Jerusalem Post certainly has its OWN agenda, and is just as apt as the New York Times and all the other leftist rags that STILL dominate most established disseminators of what-passes-for News and Information including the sorry spectacle of what's left of print journalism to ignore, deride, obfuscate, mischaracterize and otherwise misrepresent the TRUTH when the TRUTH does not serve their pet "cause."

FT,The Jerusalem Post is certainly not an unbiased source. However, I believe that many news sources have confirmed some of the material in my comment about the failed partnership worthy the Syrian Rebels. Those forces are rapidly dwindling.

Team Obama was told, over and over, that the Iraqi army couldn’t stop a terror group that was ready to pounce. But Washington was a prisoner to its paradox of an Iraq policy.

On November 1, 2013, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited the White House, and made a rather stunning request. Maliki, who celebrated when the last U.S. troops left his country in 2011, asked Obama to quietly send the military back into Iraq and help his beleagured Air Force develop targets for air strikes; that’s how serious the threat from Sunni insurgents led by the extremist group ISIS had become.

[...]

While the policy process in Washington was frozen, U.S. intelligence analysts still filed their warnings about major weaknesses in Iraq’s military. Both the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency have issued reported analysis for nearly a year warning that Iraq’s military would not be able to stand up against a sustained campaign from ISIS....

IMO, Obama ignored the reality because he wanted to ignore a reality that didn't fit in with his worldview, that worldview being the the rise of the Muslim world is a necessity for his New World Order.

I would like to throw in my two cents in DEFENSE of DONALD TRUMP.. I personally am enthusiastic about Trump just because he is saying the things that rage through my mind every time I watch any news cast or read various blogs. We, as a nation, are being sold down the river and all the peripheral bullshit aside, Mr. Trump is saying what most of us Americans are thinking. What Trump has been saying should be of concern to everybody. He is reflecting the mood of the entire nation. There’s an old saying that says, “The most successful politician is the one who says what the people are thinking and he says it loudly.” (Or words to that effect). I think Mr. Trump should have ignored the Megan Kelly issue. Because it has become a distraction. He should be sticking to the issues, that’s what brought him to the front of this pack in the first place. We need to pay close attention over the next 12 months and pray that we can change the course of current events that Obama has led us into. Obama has sold us down the river, and Trump will get us back on track again.. At least I hope that he will. I like many of you am sick and tired of Obama and his miserable administration blaming others for their failures. And I won’t sell “The Donald” short of his knowledge of Foreign affairs either. I think that Donald Trump probably knows more about dealing with politicians than anyone who was standing on that stage. Even Rand Paul said as much in his statement last week.Now, let me get to the vicious name calling and bitterness from the left.

"Now, let me get to the vicious name calling and bitterness from the left."

I must remind you that the RIGHT indulges in these lamentable practices to an equal degree.

If only we could QUIT peppering our remarks with antagonistic little quips and barbs, we might accomplish something of value.

ALSO we can't rightly claim that Mr. Trump reflects or represents a MAJORITY of Americans. ALL we can determine at this point is that he has struck a nerve with many, and is now supported by approximately 23-24% of potential REPUBLICAN voters.

There is a certain Progressive blog written by a sick lefty who knows nothing more than to call the opponents of the lying sicko’s names and lies, and to degrade them in any and every way that she can. She has done this with every one of the Liberals opposition from Mitt Romney, to Herman Cain, to John McCain, to Sarah Palin, to Rudy Giuliani, Alan Keyes, Mike Huckabee, and the list goes on and on. And now she is following thru with every Republican who was standing on that stage last Thursday night. Attacking their personal life, the Marriages, their business’s and even their sex lives.HOWEVER, I have never even once seen her mention Monica Lewinsky an intern at the White House and who had a VERY SPECIAL personal relationship with Billy, the details are even to filthy for me to mention here, Paula Jones who brought a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bubba while he was president. Or Gennifer Flowers who had a relationship with Clinton that began back as far as in 1980. And after initially denying it, Clinton later admitted that he had a sexual encounter with Ms. Flowers when he was under oath during the Lewinsky investigation! And tes, that list gpes on and on as well.Nor has our Progressive Blogger ever mention the lies and cheating of her Dear Hillary Clinton, like her Cock n’ Bull stories like the Fairy Tale about the snipers in Bosnia!Oh, forgive me it wasn’t a “LIE” She simply “MISS-SPOKE” when she said she had to evade sniper fire, and ran under the sniper’s fire when she and her also lying Daughter was visiting Bosnia in 1996 as Our First Lady.But her account for that Fairy Tales was challenged, by Sinbad, the comedian, who traveled along with her, and then by several news organizations, including the Washington Post, which awarded her four “Pinnochios” which they reserve for major whoppers!! It seems as if the truth is a Major Problem for Madam Hillary, and that she has a talent for being a congenital liar.And how about that “FIB” Telling the world that she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary?And I’m not even going to mention the worst of the worst, Benghazi. But, at this point, what difference does it make, right?Hillary is the best candidate for Alcatraz!

Also Our Madam Progressive has never had a bad word to say about another Drunken Murdering Liar, who just happened to be her Senator in Massachusetts. Who was guilty and pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, where a young girl in the car he was driving went off a bridge and he SWAM away while the young lady drowned. He was found guilty for contributing to the death of Mary Jo Kopechne! What a bunch of “NICE” people this blooger is So Fond Of! But Donald Trump is a monster! What a joke!

You may be right –– both of you –– but WHY keep bearing down on these obvious things we've known for many years? What possible GOOD could it do?

Don't you realize it just shows you to be as sour, bitter, negative and destructive as those you seek to condemn and vilify?

Why not try to follow AOW's sterling example instead, and take the argument point by point, do a little research, give it some thought, strive for a modicum of objectivity, GIVE the Devil his due, and report something POSITIVE in support of your political sentiments?

Perhaps it's because it makes us feel bett when we Strike Back FT,.there is only so much that we can take from those POS before our blood comes to the boiling point.So we feel better getting it off our chests, and calling them out for what they are . You should know that as well as anyone else.

I understand, Tyrone, and God knows I've done enough of it, myself, but I have come to realize that this kind of behavior produces NOTHING of VALUE. It just feeds in itself, and though it may, as you say, "feel good," it's no more productive than jerking off ––and a lot messier. :-)

I hope you will see the wisdom in this point of view? It's more interesting and more enjoyable to think up ways to disagree with someone other than saying,"You're an asshole," or "You're a libturd," or whatever. It's, also more grown up.

I'm 74 years old, and I figure it's long past time i stopped participating in food fights at the junior high cafeteria.

I see that blog as a fabulous rebuttal to the Obama Apologists who are in my eyes foolish, misguided, unimportant, and simply stupid.But I can’t and won’t allow these people to make statements, and remarks without the a response from us the opposition! Democrats/Liberals/Progressives are Shamefully Silent on Obama’s Failed policies and his Administration’s way of just going along with the "Status Quo". I’ts not just a matter of agreeing with the Messiah, but it has become a real and present danger to our Countries safety and existence. But his apologists just goes along with him like the sheep they are. These Liberals are so predictable.So what do we do? Stand by and say nothing? NO, we must say something and do our best to change things. We just can’t rely on the Tea Party Republican to address and change these issues such as the recent “Deal” with Iran.

So yes,I highly agree with the blog by Amercian4America's original post. And thus I will support Donald Trump, because he is saying that I have been .

No American should be killed by a Muslim without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty by a court.

No Americans could be killed by a Illegal Immigrant Mexican or any other Illegal Immigrant who was driving DRUNK. Or in a restaurant in Houston or at their home in bowling green, Kentucky, is an abomination. It is something that should not and cannot be tolerated in our country.Donald Trump has had the courage to say things that seemingly no other candidate, had the guts to say. But knows that the country feels that way. But yet they think Hillary is a world class leader! Go figure!. If she has “class”, then I'd hate to see what they call “classless”, because Hillary is about as white trashy as you can get!

America4America has produced a sloppy, poorly-worded broadside. I could not presume to know what he had in mind. Why not ask American4America? He has been absent from this noisy scrum, I see.

As such, this incredibly unintelligent post you have held up as some golden object, is in fact a horrible predicate for discussion. One could remove "Donald Trump" and insert "Adolph Hitler" and it would be just as valid.

You're an intelligent and well-spoken man. Why rely upon cut-and-paste crap like this to spur conversation? Your liberal friend's responses are no better than what he is responding to.

Please try in future not to give way to ill will. Most of us are so charged with anger and filled with confusion we are in danger of forgetting how to talk with one another without coming to blows over every little difference of opinion.

I too admire the post of America4Americans. And I’ll be glad to tell you why, and I to shall elaborate.

When have any of you Liberals said that enough is enough, Mr. President.

When have any of you Liberals said that no one shall kill Americans on American soil. Or beheaded them? Just in case any of you Obama apologists weren’t around when always had a President that would NOT allow an American to be imprisoned or KILLED in a foreign country for any meaningless reason! When have any of you Liberals known that the oath of office of the President of the United States was meaningless. Has Obama done the best of his ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.Instead he raises his right hand, puts his left hand on the bible, and he says, “I will. if it’s convenient.” or unless I dictate otherwise.” And when have any of you Liberals seen a president sit to with anyone like the likes of Al Sharpen for advice?

Sorry but I expected more from the President, any President. Yes, I’m a Republican. And I didn’t vote or support the President either time, and I never admired him, but I never expected him to be as disastrous as he turned out to be.As Americans we have something very important here in America, it’s called Freedom, Freedom of speech and Freedom to our Rights, and we shouldn’t give up on them easily.

He avoided inflammatory rhetoric? Are you sane? All he said was inflammatory rhetoric! There was no nothing else. It was inflammatory rhetoric for the sake of inflammatory rhetoric.

FreeThinke, you conservatives really need to take a hard look at yourselves these days. It's getting hard to take you seriously. A quarter of Republican voters are supporting Donald Trump. Let me rephrase that - ONE QUARTER OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. You should be ashamed to be a conservative in America today.

Eccellent post and some great comments.We have a so called “leader” who refuses to recognize – no, that’s not right. He recognizes it, kinda like you recognize your brother in a picture – Who refuses to ACKNOWLEDGE that the United States is being attacked by Islam. Not the religion, because it’s not a religion so much as a way of governmental control, but by the adherents TO that method of governmental control. The Islamists who are attacking us, cutting off American’s heads, and not just us, but people all over the world, have only one goal: complete and total subjugation of the world to their belief system A belief system that has no room or tolerance for Christian, or Jews, or homosexuals, or outspoken females (or any females, really – sharia law much?) has no room for anyone who is not a true, ardent believer in the system themselves. There are liberal progressives here in the United States that have the intentional ignorance to march in a demonstration holding signs saying “Gays and Muslims Unite For Decency” – the ignorance comes from not knowing how gays are treated under sharia law (hint – it’s more than just verbal rebuking for an ungodly lifestyle), the intentional comes from not being willing to do their own research. All they parrot is what they are told.

Obama had the chance to take a lesson in leadership when Jordan’s King cut short their visit and flew back to Jordan to take charge of the issue, and ordering the execution of the ISIS prisoners they had in retaliation for the burning alive of the Jordanian pilot. Instead Obama decides to issue another sternly worded warning. Yeah, like that’s going to do anything. Even playing golf instead or going to “Fund-Raisers”

What the left, the progressives, the pResident Obama, and the liberals do not want to know (can you say “willful ignorance”? I knew you could …) is that the only way to deal with an organization that thinks that death and martyrdom is the goal, is to give them exactly what they are asking for.

Make them all martyrs.

I look at it as a win-win situation. They get their reward, we get a peaceful existence.

One caveat – it must be total. All of the Islamists must be martyred. All practitioners of Islam, all Muslims, must be allowed to reach their goal. All of them. There are no moderates, there are only those waiting for their chance. Any left, allowed to live, will just start the whole process over again.

Problem is, they live here in the United States, too. Legally or not, they have immigrated here. Invaded these shores, under the guise, direction, and blessing of administrations that are more concerned with building a voter base than the security of the citizens of this country. So they live in your neighborhood, they work in your businesses, they leech benefits from the very government they are here to destroy. If, say, a single person were to initiate the beginnings of fulfilling the martyr’s wishes, that single person would be viewed as a criminal by the very government he was trying to protect. It will take more than a lone wolf to start the protection of this land, but there are already a lot of lone wolves out there, circulating among the citizenry. When the tipping point arrives, you will know them by their actions. You will have a choice then – help them, or be a hindrance. I’m pretty sure any hindrance would not be viewed favorably.

I pray that I am wrong, I pray that we as a nation will wake up in time to defend our way of life, but I am afraid that it is already too late, and that the enemy is already sitting at our tables. So take it for what it’s worth my friend. I say it with all deep respect for you and your commentors.

Food prices. I see no basis to make an argument against Obamahttp://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2013-august/price-inflation-for-food-outpacing-many-other-spending-categories.aspx#.VcoLUGNCiSk

Race war: Race relations have taken a horrendous negative turn since Obama assumed the presidency. I leave it to liberals to defend his actions and explain how he is not to blame. At the very least, he squandered an historic opportunity.

Benghazi. For heaven's sake, at least spell it right! Patriotic Americans died on Obama and Hillary's watch. Can't blame Bush. Hillary and Obama's coven of she-male warlords tipped over Libya, which is now infested with terrorists, and Americans died after requesting more security. Americans were slaughtered in Libya, and the deaths lie at the feet of Hillary and Obama.

Arming ISIS: The Obama Administration armed and trained whole groups of unvetted people in Syria who then defected with that training and materiel to ISIS. So yes, Obama armed ISIS. We have video of their triumphant parades into captured towns. Why didn't we bomb those convoys?

'Betray Israel' is not defined, so it is an easily refuted charge.

Financing and technology to Iran is a true statement. Your liberal friend is trafficking in a false dichotomy. The alternative would have been to leave the sanctions in place. The Mullah dictators were broke and increasinly desperate. Obama and Heinz-Kerry provided them relief, to their eternal shame.

Obama did indeed cancel missile defense programs with Poland and the Czech Republic, but again American4America has stated this so poorly that he left the door open to facile rebuttal.

Obama is shriveling our military, but "betray our veterans" is undefined. VA problems? When has that not been an issue?

The crippled economy was a bipartisan project. It crashed during Bush's presidency. Obama can take credit for the worst economic recovery on record. He can also claim the smallest workforce since Jimmy Carter, and he's handed billions to politically-connected corporate cronies, so why should we ever trust a Democrat again?

Obama has added more debt than any other president. Period. He blew over $7 Trillion more than he took in. Comparisons to accumulated debt to derive % increases in debt are meaninless other than to distract attention from Obama's reckless and historically unprecedented profligacy. The end of the Washington Post article tells the true story. Our GDP limps along as Obama blows money. Reagan's increas in debt, 1/7 of Obama's yielded a GDP boom and millions of new jobs. So, FreeThinke, your liberal Obama fan is trafficking in tendentious nonsense, which is all Obama-defenders have to rely upon.http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/12/08/does-obama-have-the-worst-record-on-any-president-on-the-national-debt/

"Ruining our Credit" is an ongoing bipartisan project. One of the few thing everyone in DC cooperates on.

"Double African-American Unemployment". BLS data indicates black unemployment is down under Obama, although still 5 points higher than the overall average, and their overall participation rate is down, which makes the figures look better than they really are. Still, this is a ridiculous charge obviously pulled out of someone's anal orifice.

Thanks again for a comprehensive reply. I keep seeing and hearing that the National Debt has risen to nearly TWENTY TRILLION DLLARS. Apparently the GAO claims it's "only' something over THIRTEEN TRILLION, as if that weren't bad enough.

I have also heard and read and seen many times claims that Obama spent more than ALL OTHER PRESIDENTS COMBINED in his FIRST TERM.

Naturally, liberals hate to acknowledge this, and want to claim it just ain't so, but WHO are we to BELIEVE?

Is the GAO trustworthy?

To me it's like expecting to get a truthful answer from a Mafia Godfather about the true nature of his business dealings and an accurate account of the money he takes in.

As Mark Twain said famously about congress, "[Government] is the only naturally occurring CRIMINAL CLASS in the country."

Democrats seem to worship, adore and TRUST Government. I have learned to my dismay that no sensible person should ever dare to trust ANY entity that has jurisdiction over him.

This administration is more concerned about being Politically Correct than doing the necessary things to keep america the greatest country on this earth. I for one am more offended by this racist president and his DOJ cronies bashing our law officers and giving the populas twisted reasons to disrespect the individuals wearing the uniform and stepping in harms way everyday to protect those bashing them. Please Donald get us back to the respectful America we once were. It is time the politicians in America be more concerned about the People they represent than their Personal gains. Thanks for running Donald.The Liberals would rather have a lying crook as their President rather than Donald Trump.1. Unlike Barry Soetoro Trump is an American Citizen.2. Unlike Bill and Hillary (the death toll for those two alone now stands at 46 lives–and that’s not even counting the men, woman and children burned alive at Wako) and unlike Barry, who hasn’t killed anyone (that we know of) in months, Trump doesn’t need to be a thug to get things done.3. Unlike Barry, Bill and Hillary Trump is not a communist (actually Stalinist since they, like Joe Stalin, believe in the usefulness of American Gulags (various federal prisons) and of solving the problem of people who disagree with them in the manner of Stalin, i.e., a bullet to the back of the head (except Barry, or the person he has do these little jobs for him, apparently prefers poison).4. Unlike Barry Trump has a brain (Barry’s IQ is down around 85-IQ or less) and more importantly Trump knows what works best for a Productive America–I’ll be a very happy camper when America ceases to be the laughing-stock to the rest of the world when Trump makes the whitehouse The White House once again..5. And since Trump is as rich and as powerful as almost anyone who would try to buy him off so he’s apt to be less money or power oriented than Barry, Bill or Hillary and more result oriented–which is how he got rich in the first place.how pathetic! Hillary has to fall back on that worn out argument with nothing solid to back it up. Anytime someone doesn’t agree with you, just pull out that ‘you’re racist’ card. ‘End of Discussion’.

Hillary has absolutely nothing valid to run on: in politics her entire adult life, wife of a two-term president, Secretary of State for four years, ran for President twice, traveled the world on the tax payers dollars, making deals which earned her PERSONALLY millions of dollars. She accomplished NOTHING! Now, like a stupid thug she calls her competitor a racist. The woman is progressively getting more senile. Surely she can be a little more creative. (That’s what being progressive gets one!)

Frankly, I think "Nancy" may be a liberal plant designed to CARICATURE Conservative opinions in an attempt to make Conservatives look ridiculous. That's how her outrageously over-the-top comment struck me.

Following the usual Democrats way of thinkg, Hillary is slipping in polls, so maybe it's time to announce a new free giveaway program for all minorities!!But actually she's slipping in popularity among Americans, NOT within her Party

Hillary is a CHIMERA foisted on us by the enemedia. She is "their" favored candidate for some unknown, doubtless ungodly reason.I have practically BEGGED more than one liberal I know to write an article describing Hillary's good points.

Not one of them has accepted the challenge –– presumably because there just AREN'T any good points on which could expand. And yet, they ALL tell me they WILL vote for her, if she is the Democratic candidate.

Not exactly what was said by this liberal, actually. What I said was that she's not my first or even second choice, but that she is FAR and away better than ANY of the Republicans running for office. I see no benefit in waving red meat to your readers, most whom are no more flexible than am I. Your 'presumptions' are 'ass u mptions', my friend. :)

A sincere, spirited honestly FACTUAL defense of H. Rodham Clinton would be a most valuable asset. I wouldn't permit it to be used merely for "target practice."

The problem is no one ever says anything beyond, "She's the most intelligent, best trained, most seasoned, most qualified, most well meaning person on the planet to be POTUS, or variants thereof."

In other words they say NOTHING of any SUBSTANCE about her.

I'm willing to be persuaded I may have been wrong about her, as long as the "evidence" doesn't come from the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the LA Times, ABC, CBS, NBC, Buzzflash, the Daily KOS, TruthOut, the Nation or Sy Hersh, Greg Palast, Noam Chomsky, Joe Conason, Howard Zinn, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Amy Goodman, Ellen Ratner, Julianne Malveaux, et al. ;-)

Sorry, but this has already been more than proven to be false. Verifications included in hyper-links.

Purported relationship to the 2008 financial crisis[edit]See also: Subprime mortgage crisis and Global financial crisis of 2008–2009Economist Stan Liebowitz wrote in the New York Post that a strengthening of the CRA in the 1990s encouraged a loosening of lending standards throughout the banking industry. He charged the Federal Reserve with ignoring the negative impact of the CRA.[102] According to Manhattan Institute scholar Howard Husock, the CEO of a midsize bank reported that 20% of his institution's CRA-related mortgages were delinquent in their first year and probably 7% would end in foreclosure.[107] In a commentary for CNN, Congressman Ron Paul, who serves on the United States House Committee on Financial Services, charged the CRA with "forcing banks to lend to people who normally would be rejected as bad credit risks."[108] In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, economist Russell Roberts wrote that the CRA subsidized low-income housing by pressuring banks to serve poor borrowers and poor regions of the country.[109]

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission formed by the US Congress in 2009 to investigate the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, concluded "the CRA was not a significant factor in subprime lending or the crisis".[110] Ben Bernanke, then Chairman of the Federal Reserve, wrote that experience and research contradict "the charge that CRA was at the root of, or otherwise contributed in any substantive way to, the current mortgage difficulties."[111] Government economists and officials, including Janet Yellen, then President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco,[112] FDIC Chair Sheila Bair,[113] Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan,[114] and Federal Reserve Governor Randall Kroszner,[115] also hold that the CRA did not significantly contribute to the subprime crisis. According to Yellen, now current Chair of the Federal Reserve, independent mortgage companies made risky "higher-priced" loans at more than twice the rate of the banks and thrifts; most CRA loans were responsibly made, and were not the "higher-priced" loans that have contributed to the current crisis.[112][116][117]

Other economists examined and concluded that the CRA did not contribute to the financial crisis, notably New York Times columnist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman,[118] Tim Westrich of the Center for American Progress,[119] Robert Gordon of the American Prospect,[120] Ellen Seidman of the New America Foundation,[121] Daniel Gross of Slate,[122] and Aaron Pressman from BusinessWeek.[123]

A Bait and Switch Canard. CRA was only a small part of the overall government program of covering ALL mortgage loans, regardless of origin or credit-worthiness: FANNIE, FREDDIE, FHA, etc.

Add to the the bullhorn brigades who maumau'd lenders into lending to everyone, and the lenders were happy to do it, since Uncle Sam's policies encouraged grinding up all mortgages and packing them into securities sausages so that the stinkers were mixed in with good loans.

Why did the lenders care? Not their problem anymore!

All brought to you by federal law and federal oversite, so we've caught you peddling red propaganda.

I doubt if he looks at it that way, Bart, –– please don't forget he's a friend of mine. I respect him and don't want him treated rudely –– but even though the sources he's given are copious and seem impressive at first glance, I distrust them simply because of who and what they are.

He will laughingly deny it, and claim I am "biased," which of course I am, but NOTHING could be more biased in favor of the LEFT than the New York Times, and those "illustrious" columnists cited are all virulent leftists –– every one of them Jewish to boot, –– and all sensible people know that Marxism came to us largely by way of Jewish intellectuals –– a fractious, nettlesome, alienated element always bent on making trouble at every available opportunity.

I'm sorry but I resent them very much for the deleterious–– often downright DESTRUCTIVE –– influence they've had on our mores, cultural style and traditional way of life –– not that it was ever ideal. ;-)

If you don't want to believe me, you can certainly believe David Horowitz and Michael Savage, –– two classic Red Diaper Babies both of whom ARE Jews who've seen the error of their former ways and have made great efforts to atone for the sins of their fathers and mothers, their insidious, viciously seditious compatriots and former selves. Mark Levin is another who fits this category. There are many others as well.

The dominant media in print and TV, always largely controlled by Jews, has always been HEAVILY biased toward the left. They got away with presenting their erudite-sounding distortions and fabrications as "normal," "truthful," and POPULAR for over sixty years till Bill Buckley wrote Man and God at Yale and then Rush Limbaugh began his incredibly successful radio campaign that tapped into the authentic thoughts, feelings and passionate convictions of what-was-then "The Silent Majority."

The result, of course, has been the outraged bellowing and cries of fake outrage, fury and fulsome indignation on the part of the fake-humanitarians who had had the field all to themselves unopposed for SO long, they'd actually come to believe in the veracity of their own lies.

A well-known ultra-liberal blog which shall remain nameless, if I have anything to say about it, provides a perfect example of "The Stuck Pig Syndrome" that the latter-day challenge to the Left from newly awakened Conservatives and Libertarians has produced.

It's all become very ugly, because too many supposedly in "our" side, if there is such a thing, tend to respond in kind to leftist taunts and jibes.

I'm doing my best to discourage that, because it IS tearing us apart and making bad situations worse.

I'm sure your friend is a nice fellow, probably one of those old progressives caught flat-footed by shifting ground as you describe, now befuddled because grubby rightwingers have the actual temerity to question the progressive orthodoxy he and millions of his ilk have unthinkingly bowed down to lo these many decades.

His cut-and-paste job from a liberal columnist is a common diversionary tactic.

AOW, an exceedingly sharp woman and fierce warrior, properly made the distinction between the CRA and the larger panoply of government programs it was a part of.

Your liberal friend focused in on CRA to make a technically-correct argument that CRA did not bring down the economy. CRA played a part, and the larger government program of forcing lenders to make imprudent loans is what caused the crash. True, loans to poor people only made up a small part. Bad loans to the rich and middle class were the majority, and those bad loans were made possible by foolish government policy foisted on the marketplace by both Dems and Repubs.

Back to the immediate subject at hand: Your liberal friend has made a narrow, technically-correct argument that completely distracts from the larger issue of progressive government policies crashing our economy.

For this and many other reasons, I consider the individuals like him who preponderate on the left to be intellectually-dishonest interlocutors, more interested in protecting the progressive government beast than finding the truth.

The problem, as i see it, is they believe only the sources that support their particular worldview.

Ron Paul by the way was the ONLY Republican candidate in the last go 'round who spoke the TRUTh –- clearly, forcefully, fearlessly and articulately.

He was NOT the 'right' candidate to be elected president ––– BIG image problem ––– but, probably because he knew he couldn't possibly win, he threw all caution to the winds, and told the plain unvarnished TRUTH. I believe his motives were noble.

The man CARES about his COUNTRY more than he does about HIMSELF.

And what did he get for the tremendous effort he made in OUR behalf?

He was targeted as "A VICIOUS ANTI-SEMITE," which we the people of the United Sates of America have been systematically brainwashed into believing is a worse sin than child rape and mass murder combined.

As far as a of a quiet summer is conserned without the Blacks riotinb and looting Hell, I thought that half the country would be experiencing fires, policemen shot ete, and etc, by now, but we still have the rest of August to go.. And guess what?

It's already started "2 shot in St. Louis as protests turn violent Sunday, and Monday" As the City "Celebrates" the shooting of the poor gentile giant.!

I wonder if this activity is going to be allowed every year as the the City "Celebrates" another anniversery!"BLUE Lives Matter" to me.

The 'hatchet job' that the asswipe Magyn Kelly did on Trump didn't seem to hurt Trump. At least his polls return that impression. Moderators should manifest and maintain an aura of Neutrality, in order to properly execute their duties. This is not a difficult concept to abide by! Just make the debates neutral and fair.

It should never be regarded as "fun" to see ANYONE's downfall, even HERS.

But I'd be willing to bet the farm that no indictments will EVER be brought against Madame H.

Unlike Republicans when in power, who have had no trouble expeditiously jettisoning anyone among THEIR ranks accused of wrongdoing, Democrats would RARELY-if-EVER prosecute one of their own.

UNLESS the RINO's summon up sufficient courage to push vert hard for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor, Hillary's ascent to the Throne will will be smooth and unimpeded.

You don't seriously believe the two-faced, two party Washington Establishment would EVER find a way to defy The OLigarchs who own and operate EVERY goddam ONE of the BASTARDS on BOTH sides of the aisle, do you?

Sanders vs. Trump, one is a serious political candidate, the other is the result of letting the GOP be controlled by know-nothing, Baboon, Blow-hard, who is now the representative of all conservatives!

Sorry to be "Off Topic" FT, But this is important!A CROATIAN hostage has been beheaded by so-called Islamic State militants after a ransom deadline ran out, the brutal terror group has claimed.

The people ihere in the USA and thriughout the rest of the Free World are crying out loud for a strong leadership, who will address the important matters that worry us all, but are just being ignored. We are hearing NOTHING for Obama or the others, and it's very frustrating.Who is going to rid us of this barbaric organisation? Obama the great coward, who has sat and done nothing, but talk about Race and his stupid misserible "Deal" with Iran, and how much he dosn't care about Israel, and the jewish people, and that he sees no plot to destroy Israel, Chuck Schumer because he opposes the Iran Nuclear Deal, and now he has a venteta for Time for a coup maybe, after all the army could do a far better job at protecting our borders, which is the main concern.

Can we expect a vendetta against Schumer by Obama's Justice Department, just as they did with Sen. Menendez. These guys are vindictive.Oh BTW, Mr. Clown in Chief -- a majority of the American PEOPLE oppose your boneheaded deal with Iran, so it's about time you rethink things. And how come David Petraeus mishandled far less classified material than Hillary and was investigated and forced to plead guilty or go to trial. Yet our Clown in Chief Obama will do nothing to Hillary who sent out Top Secret information on “her Private server” which is totally ILLEGAL and who violated Obama's public promise to be the most transparent administration ever..Obama sold out the U.S. and Israel to Iran. But now we have Cuba, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood on our side? What the hell is that? Is Cuba going to help us when we are under attack? HUH? How pathetic are these liberals? And maybe you Chuck Schumer supporters will THINK TWICE before you vote Democratic/liberal again!

Okay lets see if this works. Hillary is leading Sanders by 40 points; even as the left-wing Nutjobs, try their best to destroy Donald Trump. He has already taken Hillary's Socialist base and her Communist base away from her. He just needs her welfare addicts and she's done.

Bernie Sanders has been drawing bigger crowds than Hillary and his followers are more vocal then Hillary's. Everybody has been saying Trump shot his wad to early but more and more it looks like Hillary is the one suffering from pre-mature election.

About 19,000 people cheered Sanders in the arena that is home to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. The rally had originally been scheduled at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which has a capacity of about 12,000, but was moved in anticipation of large crowds.

A lot of people on this board have talked about how Obozo has polarized this country including myself. What better proof of that then the rise of Trump and Sanders? The 2016 election COULD prove to be the most decisive and attended and voted election in this country ever.

Hillary may need her Communist/Socialist base she does not have much left but her welfare addicts. Hillary has a big problem, she can't win by staying out of the public eye, and hiding from the press much longer. Sooner or later she is going to have answer the tough questions... and she’s not used to that. I think that she has a lot more problems then the media is telling.

How does anyone run for office when being investigated by everybody? Besides I don't think Obama trusts her let alone likes her.1) He has not endorsed her yet2) The AFL-CIO put off endorsing anybody.I think they are all waiting for Biden to make up his mind, and I use the word “mind” very generously .

So it all boils down to a political party whose candidates for president include two men (assuming Biden runs) one with decades of service to big government, and another who is an admitted Socialist, and a woman who is as corrupt and deceptive as anyone can possibly be?

Gratuitous Displays of Extraneous Knowledge Offered Not To Shed Light Or Enhance the Discussion, But For The Primary Purpose Of Giving An Impression Of Superiority are obnoxiously SELF-AGGRANDIZING, and therefore, Subject to Removal at the Discretion of the Censor-in-Residence.